On Fair-Weather Fans

Tomorrow, my college alma mater will play for the conference championship in football. Let me say that again, LaGrange College will play for the football championship. Those of you who are LaGrange alums understand the significance of this event. If you are not from the LaGrange area or have no ideas concerning the LaGrange College football team, allow let me enlighten you.

LaGrange’s first year as a football team was in 2006. For the next two years, our team proceeded to go 0-20. That is correct. Completely defeated. Not one chalk mark in the win column.

This year, though, our team is 8-1 and undefeated in conference play. Talk about a turnaround. Tomorrow we will compete against Huntingdon College for the conference title in our NCAA Div. III conference. Needless to say, we’re excited.

We’re expecting to pack the stadium tomorrow. Without a doubt, it will be the highest attendance at any LaGrange College football game ever. It reminds me of the first game of the team’s history. The stands were packed, people were excited. Then we lost. And we lost again. And again. And when we didn’t win a game in our first 20, people didn’t come as much.

I remember going to the games over the past couple of years, and on a couple of occasions, I specifically remember being one of about 5 people in the student section at certain games. No exaggeration. I can literally say that I was there when no one else was.

But tomorrow, the situation will change. When you win, people want to come and see you. Fair-weather fans will come crawling out of the woodwork donning the red and black for LaGrange’s first championship opportunity. There is no doubt.

People are that way about everything. When things are good, people are all over the bandwagon. When popularity drops, profits dwindle, or rewards decrease, however, everyone seems to find something better to occupy their time. That includes relationships.

Whenever you go through a rough spell, you really find out who your friends are. When you’re popular, rich, funny, or cool, people like to hang around you. But when things turn southward, and you experience a trying period in life, it becomes quite clear that you didn’t have as many real friends as you think. Thank you, fair weather friends.

God is not like that. He is there when no one else is. When you fail, he’s there. When you lose, he’s there. When everything falls apart and everyone forsakes you, he is there. God is not swayed by the opinions of man. He is constant, unchanging, ever-true. His love never fails, even when life’s scoreboard shows you as being 0-20.

So go Panthers! Bring home the championship tomorrow. I’ll be there to support you, win or lose.

Just like God has been there for me.